Staal ready to go

RALEIGH -- Eric Staal and his family flew back into Raleigh on Sunday after spending most of the summer in his hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Waiting to pick them up at RDU: Jared Staal, Eric's little brother.

"That was a little weird," Eric Staal said Monday, breaking a smile.

If anything, it's yet another sign of how much has changed for Eric Staal, for the Carolina Hurricanes, in just a year's time.

Eric Staal is the team captain. Jared, a forward obtained in a May trade with the Phoenix Coyotes, now is a member of the Hurricanes organization. The Canes, thought to be Stanley Cup contenders entering last season, missed the playoffs and have since undergone a radical facelift.

Gone are such fixtures as Rod Brind'Amour and Ray Whitney, Matt Cullen, Scott Walker and Niclas Wallin. Gone, too, are the heady days of last season when the Hurricanes pushed the NHL salary cap.

General manager Jim Rutherford has said the team payroll will be about $44 million or $45 million this season. And Staal, the highest-paid player at $7.5 million, believes the Hurricanes can be a factor in that price range.

"I don't think that will be too much of an issue," Staal said. "We'll be competitive. We'll have a younger team, for sure, but there's no reason we can't compete.

"I think the way Jim [Rutherford] builds this team, the way Jim handles everything, he's the best at it. I think the way the organization has drafted, a lot of these younger guys and a lot of these new guys will really make a difference. I think there are guys coming up who are at a stage where they can really take a step and be a difference.

"That's what they're expecting and a lot of guys are expecting, including me."

Staal, 25, called last season a whirlwind, personally. He was slowed by injuries and missed games. His sister-in-law, Tamara Stephenson, died of cancer.

In January, Staal inherited the captaincy from Brind'Amour, and the responsibility that goes with wearing the "C." He also won Olympic gold playing for Team Canada.

Despite a late-season surge, Staal finished with 29 goals, his fewest in a season since his rookie year. Could it be added motivation this season?

"For me, I think I push hard every summer, no matter what," Staal replied. "Obviously, there was some disappointment with missing the playoffs last year and the start we had and the frustration with the injuries. Some of it I couldn't control, some of it I did my best to control.

"This summer I worked as hard as I could to make sure I can hopefully stay healthy. I feel like I'm in great shape. I'm excited about the changeover, the new guys, the fresh faces. Just the total excitement around the whole team."

Forward Tom Kostopoulos watched Staal soldier through last season, calling him one of the NHL's best.

"He's a presence out there," he said. "He's one of those dynamic players.

"When he took over the captaincy last year, I think he did a great job. He really turned it on at the end, and our team played well. I hope he can keep going from where he left off and he can lead us to the promised land."

Last season, that might have been the Stanley Cup. That's still the goal, but returning to the playoffs might be a more reasonable goal.

Staal was at the RecZone on Monday, working out off the ice with Brind'Amour. But he said he's healthy, a little leaner, and will be back on the ice today.

"We're going to definitely be competitive," Staal said. "The nature that we have in our dressing room is competitive guys and guys who hate to lose.

"I'm just looking forward to getting started and trying to do my thing. I feel strong. I feel really good."